Amidst the global textile industry’s shift toward sustainable production models, Vietfiber has emerged as an inspiring practical example from Vietnam. It all began with a seemingly simple question: How can we make use of the more than 52,000 hectares of discarded pineapple leaves generated annually in Vietnam? From this starting point, the founding team at Vietfiber developed a technological solution capable of entirely replacing imported cotton fibers—a material that dominates the textile supply chain but is also a major source of emissions and water consumption.
Instead of relying on chemical treatments or water-intensive processes like many other natural fiber extraction methods, Vietfiber chose a different path: they developed a fully automated mechanical technology that cuts, extracts, processes, and spins fibers from pineapple leaves—without the use of water or chemicals. This process is not only environmentally friendly but also helps preserve the fiber’s strength, improves output quality, and offers a cost advantage compared to other types of natural fibers. Notably, the fully automated system allows Vietfiber to maintain consistent quality and reduce dependence on skilled labor—a common challenge in the production of natural materials.
Unlike some manually-operated or semi-industrial pineapple fiber models, Vietfiber’s approach is groundbreaking in its potential for scalable, stable mass production that meets the stringent standards of the global sustainable fashion industry. According to the startup, they aim to produce 63,000 tons of pineapple fiber annually—enough to fully replace the current volume of imported cotton used in Vietnam. While this is no small ambition, especially in an industry deeply rooted in global supply chains, it is a goal built on a solid foundation.
Vietfiber was selected to showcase its technology at the startup exhibition within the P4G Vietnam Summit 2025, an event that brings together global development organizations and partners committed to green transition. Their solution quickly drew interest from international investors and organizations, given its urgency in reducing emissions while also enhancing the economic value of Vietnam’s agricultural by-products.
One of the key lessons from Vietfiber’s journey is the importance of going beyond just a green idea to focus on developing technology that is practically viable for production—meaning it must be stable, scalable, and easily integrated into existing supply chains. Many high-tech agricultural startups have failed due to models that lacked industrial viability or were overly reliant on manual support. By investing early in technological research, automation, and long-term operational capacity, Vietfiber has successfully overcome these challenges.
